BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to watercraft, and more specifically to recreational apparatus that can be towed behind a motorboat.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Water skiing has become a highly popular sport on the lakes and waterways of resort areas. However, the sport requires a high degree of coordination, skill and dexterity. Unfortunately, these physical characteristics are not possessed by all persons who might want to experience the exhilaration of being towed behind a fast-moving motor boat. A safe and user-friendly apparatus that would permit less physically gifted persons to experience the joys of water skiing would surely be a welcomed addition in the art.
The prior art discussed below is relevant to developments in watercraft prior to my invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,708 issued to W. A. Albright on Nov. 3, 1959; U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,944 issued to D. L. Basey et al. on Jul. 10, 1962; U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,857 issued to F. L. Churchman on Jun. 11, 1963; U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,373 issued to W. T. Antcliff on Mar. 3, 1964; U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,935 issued to H. O. Long on Nov. 17, 1964; U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,222 issued to R. Frost on Mar. 1, 1966; U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,354 issued to Woolley et al. on Mar. 31, 1992; British Patent No. 1,004,487 published on Sep. 15, 1965; Canadian Patent No. 945,594 issued Apr. 16, 1974 all disclose water sport apparatus which accommodate only a single passenger.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to disclose a stable, single or double passenger water sport apparatus as will subsequently be described and claimed in the instant invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a double-hulled water glider adapted to be towed behind a motorboat. The preferred embodiments essentially comprises a unibody frame with two aerodynamic stabilizers, a towing means, a deck area and at least one seat attachment/extension means.
The frame includes an upwardly-sloped front end, a pair of parallel, elongated box-shaped hulls, a seating area, forward and rear decks, stabilizer structure and side rails having hand holds formed therein. The upwardly-sloped front end creates an upward thrust against the water surface as the glider is towed, allowing it to glide on its two hulls. The stabilizers are provided to minimize capsizing and provide additional lift as the glider is towed. A tow chain is securely attached to the respective front ends of the stabilizers. Besides serving the obvious function, the hand holds are also utilized to drain any standing water from the seating area.
An extension may be attached at the rear (aft) of the glider to provide a seat for an additional rider. The extension is designed so that it may easily attach and detach from the glider frame.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a shallow, user-friendly water glider that is buoyant, lightweight and easy to board.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a water glider which is equipped with stabilizer structure for decreasing the chances of capsizing.
A further object of the invention to provide a water glider which can be modified to have one seat or two seats.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a water glider having plural hand holds for enhancing safety.
Another object of the invention is to provide a watercraft with a configuration which allows the watercraft to glide through the water on a double-hulled structure.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described, which apparatus is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.